What is his real mission and will his Aunt Archangelica approve of his treatment of her cat?In this short story, New York Times Bestselling Author Gail Carriger uses her comedic voice to delve into the history of one of her most beloved characters. If you have ever wondered about Alexia's father, this will give you a glimpse into his adventures and character.This story was first published in The Book of the Dead, a Jurassic London anthology.

    Her mom, Willow, is slowly teaching her magic on the condition that she use it to better the world. But Frankie’s happily quiet life is upended when new girl Hailey shows up with news that the annual Slayer convention has been the target of an attack, and all the Slayers—including Buffy, Faith, and Hailey’s older sister Vi—might be dead. That means it’s time for this generation’s Slayer to be born.But being the first ever Slayer-Witch means learning how to wield a stake while trying to control her budding powers. With the help of Hailey, a werewolf named Jake, and a hot but nerdy sage demon, Frankie must become the Slayer, prevent the Hellmouth from opening again, and find out what happened to her Aunt Buffy, before she’s next.Get ready for a whole new story within the world of Buffy!The first in an all-new series by New York Times best-selling author Kendare Blake continues the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer featuring the next generation of Scoobies and Slayers who must defeat a powerful new evil.

    . .Charlotte Rollins is an elemental, but she doesn't know it yet. Now, with the help of her old friend Cale and her new friend Keller, she will fight against an evil whose only goal is to consume her.From Kobo:There is no such thing as a mage. There is certainly no such thing as a vampire, pixie, werewolf, or fallen angel. And they certainly do not all attend a college together called Paranormal Public University.One minute Charlotte Rollins is a normal girl about to go to a normal college. She is at once excited and nervous, getting ready to start this new phase in her life. The next minute she is a freshman not at a normal college, but at Paranormal Public University, a school where paranormals of all kinds must co-exist. Charlotte must learn magic, that is, if she could actually do magic, which unlike every other mage at Public she can’t seem to manage.Her transition to this new and wonderful world is difficult. On top of trying to learn magic, make new friends, and confront forbidden love, the archenemy of the paranormals, the demons, are getting stronger. They are looking for something. It turns out that Charlotte might just hold the key to finding it.Can Charlotte get a handle on her powers in time to save the school she loves? Can she fulfill a destiny the paranormals scarcely dared to hope for? Or will she be too late?

    When Kevin Parker heads to an elite institution in upstate New York, he learns more than he had bargained for. As he falls into the midst of paranormal competition and conspiracy, he has to balance his new found powers with his personal life.

    For a thousand years the Ilyium druids have hunted the Dracones without mercy. At seven, in a terrifying moment, Tierney lost her world and fled to Earth, keeping her true nature secret from humans. But a nightmarish past is not easy to escape. Now, years later, that truth is abundantly clear every time she looks into the eyes of the man she secretly loves, and sees a torment that draws her to him even as he pushes her away. Jax battles his desires for Tierney alongside his inner demons, ashamed to speak of a past he cannot forget. Frustrated by her efforts to connect to Jax, Tierney is unprepared when the Ilyium resurface. Ancient instincts triggered, she and Jax are tested in ways they never imagined. Will Tierney and Jax overcome the legacy of their past, or will they be destroyed?

    But no one knows better than Stanley Hoff. It doesn't help that at night he wants to howl up at the moon.In his vegetarian household, Stanley has a horrible secret that makes it hard to sit down at the dinner table and bless the veggie burgers prepared by his Wiccan mother.As they say in New England, Stanley Hoff is WICKED HUNGRY.In fact, he's filled with forbidden cravings. And not for tofu pups. For meat. How much beef jerky, how many Slim Jims can Stanley hide in his room, in his locker at high school?When a very hairy showdown with a school bully sets in motion a great chain of events that include an invitation to cheerleader Meredith's Halloween party, Stanley has to ask himself some important questions. Can he overcome his shyness and get the girl? Save his family, his community and his friends from the growing supernatural threat? All while figuring out how to control the beast within?

    Gwen craves the forbidden rush of leaping from her bedroom window and transforming into an owl, but she could lose it all if anyone caught her. Most Americans don’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for Others. In the small town of Klikamuks, Washington, coming out as a person with paranormal abilities means staring down the barrel of a shotgun. Gwen hasn’t even told the truth to her boyfriend, Zack, who she hopes will be the boy to take her virginity.When a pack of werewolves claims the national forest behind Gwen’s house as their territory, the tensions in Klikamuks escalate—into murder. Prejudice slows the police investigation. It doesn’t take Gwen long to realize a serial killer is targeting Others. On the hunt for clues, she meets Tavian, a sexy Japanese fox-spirit who rivals Zack and challenges her to embrace her shapeshifting. Can she find the killer before he finds her, or will her secrets be the death of her?An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

    Vampires. Mages. Demons. A Federal Paranormal Unit. Savagery and Skills will hook you! Seneca Savage is a bad ass with skills. Not the kind of skills that one puts on a formal resume. She’s the daughter of a mage and a fae, and now she’s an orphan and a former street kid. She’s had the kind of life nightmares are made of. When she turned eighteen, things changed. Running into a vampire has a way of changing one’s life. Too bad the vampire didn’t realize she was part fae and that her blood was toxic to him. Toxic in the most lethal of ways. Except, the encounter changed her. Now she freelances, selling her skills and her savagery to the paranormal government or any other individual who can afford her fee. She’ll spy, steal, and even kill. She has only one rule. She won’t kill humans. That’s the rule. She maneuvers between assignments and skirts death, while at the same time tries to look out for the little human sidekick that she’d like to shake on most days. Warning: Unputdownable action-packed fantasy, with fae, vampires, mages, demons, and a Federal Paranormal Unit

     In London for graduate school, Val knows she's finally free. Her father and ex-almost-boyfriend are back in California and she's out of the Vampire hunting biz for good. Or is she? She draws the attention of Lucas, a 1600 year old Vampire, and King to his kind. He’s also wicked hot. As golden as Lucifer, and just as tempting, he makes Valerie an offer she can't refuse — help him find out if the Others (Empaths, Fey and Werewolves) still exist or he'll stop protecting those she loves. Lucas tells her that Empaths were a Vampire’s biggest weakness before going extinct hundreds of years ago. While the Fey or a Werewolf might kill a Vampire, an Empath could enslave them, seducing or harming with emotions at will. The one detail he leaves out? Valerie is an Empath. And after 1600 years of an emotionless existence, Lucas wants Valerie like a recovering alcoholic wants a wine cooler. Can she keep those she loves alive, stop Lucas from munching on her, survive a fanged revolution and still find a way to have that boring, normal life she’s always wanted? Probably not, but boy is she gonna try! This is a full length novel and contains adult content.

    Called from her studies to return to her father's side, the Crown Princess is kidnapped en route by Connor, a mysterious rogue who has been waiting a long time for the chance to change his destiny.Facing the consequences of a freak accident that even Connor could not prevent, Angeline is forced to travel a dangerous path to regain control of her fate and her kingdom. Her impossible choice requires her to rely on Connor, who epitomizes everything generations of her family tried to destroy.As the last of the Robart bloodline, Angeline discovers that enemies she thought long conquered have been lying in wait for just such an opportunity as her father's death to turn events to their advantage. Worse yet, by uncovering those secrets, Angeline must confront the possibility that no one ever expected her to take the throne in anything but title alone.As her bond with Connor grows stronger, she realizes they have far more in common than she ever expected, and that could make him just the ally she needs.

    Since then, I’ve had the honor of interviewing several well known authors including New York Times Bestselling author Christine Feehan, and the New York Times Bestselling thriller team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The goal of Author-2-Author is to not only entertain my readers and the readers of those being interviewed, but to help answer the questions of aspiring authors who are diligently working towards a successful writing career. The 2008 Interviews can be found on my website, Alleywolf.com, AmericanChronicle.com, and on Amazon.com’s Kindle for reading on the go. The 2008 Interviews include:Jeremy Robinson, best selling author of The Didymus Contingency, Raising the Past, Antarktos Rising, Pulse, Kronos, POD People, and The Screenplay Workbook. Pamela Duncan Edwards & Henry Cole, authors of numerous children’s picture books including Some Smug Slug, Livingstone Mouse, and Moosetache.Christine Feehan, New York Times Bestselling author of over 40 novels.Steve Alten, New York Times Bestselling author of several books including the MEG series and the Shell Game.Gregg Olsen, New York Times Bestselling author of several true crime novels.D. H. Brown, An emerging Northwest self-published author of Honor Due.J. E. Braun, An emerging East coast self-published author of Paranoia.D. H. Dublin, Author of Forensic Thrillers, Body Trace, Blood Poison, and Freezer Burn as well as a satirist and editor of the Weavers Way Shuttle.Rai Aren & Tavius E., Coauthors of Secret of the Sands.Tony Eldridge, Author of The Samson Effect and editor of a blog geared to marketing techniques for self-published authors.Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, New York Times Bestselling authors of multiple action adventure novels.Also, as an added bonus I’ve included a FREE copy of my first Owen Ruger adventure, The Man Beneath Lake Union. If you are a fan of action adventure and authors like Clive Cussler, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, James Rollins, and Steve Alten, then you’ll enjoy my Micro-adventure. The Owen Ruger character and his Cuban ex-smuggling friend are geared to appeal to young adults who crave action packed adventure, while giving a plot that will entertain the avid adult reader. In The Man Beneath Lake Union a rash of Eco-terrorism strikes the Seattle waterfront. Owen Ruger and his trusted friend Rafael Sernansa are hired to investigate the crimes and protect the assets of a large fishing company. As they start their investigation they find themselves in a waterborne fight against unknown attackers and in the middle of a strange and unusual mystery. During their daring rescue on Lake Union they see what can only be describe as a merman swimming away from the scene. Driven by what they’ve seen, Owen and Sernansa race to solve the mystery and stop the destruction before fear grips the city, but as the pieces come together they soon learn that everything isn’t what it seems and the mystery swimmer maybe just another victim. I hope you enjoy your copy of Author-2-Author and The Man Beneath Lake Union. Please feel free to leave feedback!C. L. Vaughn, Alleywolf.com

     One – I would’ve tried shielding Miles from the ugliness of the mirror. Two – I would’ve listened to the warnings that despite the evil I’ve already met, worse was coming. Three – I would’ve recognized that while I was trying to keep everyone in the light, darkness crept into the hidden corners of myself I never knew existed. Four – I wouldn’t have so willingly trusted others just because they are family. Five – Most importantly, I would have shielded my heart before it turned black.

    The vampires need her to balance the food load of the human species and give them their coveted “Lightwalkers.” The Were wish to be moonless changers; a Rare One can make that a reality. Julia wants to belong to herself. Can she free herself and begin a new life?

    Chapters: Living Dead in Dallas, Dead to the World, Definitely Dead, Club Dead, Dead Until Dark, Dead as a Doornail, Dead and Gone, All Together Dead, From Dead to Worse, a Touch of Dead, Dead in the Family. Excerpt: A Touch of Dead A Touch of Dead is a collection of short stories from Charlaine Harris 's series The Southern Vampire Mysteries . This title was released on October 6th, 2009. This book only contains the short stories Harris has published in which Sookie Stackhouse is present. Stories References (URLs online) A hyperlinked version of this chapter is at All Together Dead All Together Dead is the seventh book in Charlaine Harris 's series The Southern Vampire Mysteries . After being betrayed by her vampire love, Bill Compton, Sookie Stackhouse attends an all-important central U.S. Vampire Summit on the shores of Lake Michigan as a "human geiger counter" for Sophie-Anne Leclerq, Vampire Queen of Louisiana and who will be tried during the event for murdering her husband, King of Arkansas. The summit is a tense situation. The queen is in a precarious position, her power base weakened by hurricane damage to New Orleans. And there are some vamps who would like to finish what nature started. Sookie knows the queen is innocent, but she is hardly prepared for other shocking murders, not to mention protests by the Fellowship of the Sun, a right-wing anti-vampire movement. Sookie's bond with Eric Northman gets closer and she discovers Quinn 's past. Plot summary The summit, which has attracted undead power players from all over the central United States, is sure to be tense, due in no small part to the rampi...

    Wizards sent there are never heard from again.The moment I arrive, I'm forced to complete a series of initiation tests with a snarky, too-hot fae. If the creatures trying to kill us don't do him in, I just might. Yet my birth father is on Darkwater Island, and while he could be just about anyone, I'm determined to track him down. He stole something from me when I was a baby, and I want it back.Once I get what I came for, there are two ways out. Survive the Challenge--another series of trials that take place in the ever-changing, magical catacombs beneath the island. Or I can fulfill the secret blood bond I made with the Master Seeker. Eliminate someone and the Master Seeker will transport me home....Except the person I must kill is the wizard I'm falling for.This book is 71,000 words.